Ruhnu Island

Ruhnu sits alone in the middle of the Gulf of Riga, about eleven square kilometres with a population of a few dozen, and for centuries it was home to a Swedish-speaking community who had held the island since the medieval period. Their wooden church of 1644 survives, the oldest wooden building standing in Estonia, a dark tarred structure beside the larger stone church of 1912. The rest of the island is pine and broadleaf forest, a long sand beach on the east, dunes and the Ruhnu lighthouse, whose iron frame is attributed to the Eiffel workshop. Ferries and flights are limited and weather-dependent.

History

The oldest traces of people on Ruhnu, probably seasonal seal hunters, date from around 5000 BC, but the permanent Swedish-speaking settlement probably began no earlier than the Northern Crusades of the early 13th century. The island and its Swedish people are first recorded in 1341, in a letter from the Bishop of Courland confirming their right to live and manage their property under Swedish law. Ruhnu belonged to Sweden from 1621 to 1708, formally until 1721, and then to the Russian Empire, under which it ran most of its own affairs as crown land, with the Lutheran pastor acting as estate custodian; in the mid-19th century most islanders sought to join the Orthodox Church, but the planned conversion of 1866 never went ahead. The census of 1934 counted 282 people, 277 of them Swedes, and in 1965 the island held the first Ruhnu-Kihnu Games, a festival of culture and sport (Wikipedia, Ruhnu).

What you'll find

• The 1644 wooden church - the oldest wooden building in Estonia.
• The lighthouse - the iron tower on the island's high point.
• The beach and dunes - the long sand shore on the eastern side.
• Island forest - the pine and broadleaf woodland covering the interior.

When to go

June to August, when ferries run most reliably and the small population is supplemented by summer visitors. Services outside summer are sparse and cancel in weather. Winter access is by air only, and not always then.

Practical notes

Transport is limited and weather-dependent, and being stranded for a day or two is a real possibility. Accommodation is a handful of guesthouses that must be booked. There is one small shop. Facilities are minimal in every sense.

Nearby

Kihnu lies northeast; Saaremaa is north.

Key facts